Dresden City Festival

Dresden invites its guests to the City Festival 2008
from August 15th to 17th 2008.

The City Festival is a colorful event with live music, ancient spectacles and activities - granting fun for the whole family. For three days and nights various events as well as the Saxon Steam Boat Festival will turn the city centre of Dresden into one great party location with a huge number of festival areas. All concerts and events are free of charge.

On Theaterplatz, against the unique scenery of Dresden's Semper Opera House, you can experience the full range of music from rock and pop to classic. On the opposite bank of the Elbe River, Neustädter Markt invites its guests to a program with comedy, cabaret and travesty. Alternatively, you can attend the royal audience of Augustus the Strong in baroque atmosphere on Schlossplatz. Children and adolescents will enjoy the colourful world of action games, sports and musical newcomers at Königsufer bank.                                                                      

When the historic pageant "The Procession of Princes" goes through the city centre on Sunday afternoon, you should get a good seat or viewpoint beforehand. The pageant brings Dresden's well-known mural back to life with 90 beautifully costumed actors and 45 horses and will be commented live at the various city festival scenes.

Among the highlights of the Dresden City Festival 2008 is the "First Dresden Duck Cup". It's a race of 3,000 plastic ducks, which can be purchased for 5 Euro, on the Elbe River from Carolabrücke up to Augustusbrücke. The ducks' race is on Sunday, 17 August 2008 at 3 p.m., immediately after the pageant. The owners of the first 10 ducks to reach the goal can win attractive prizes.
The "Dresden Duck Cup" is a charity event of the Dresden Lions' Clubs in order to support the campaign "Holidays For All Children" by Dresden's Children Association

At the same weekend, the Saxon Steamboat Company (Sächsische Dampfschifffahrt) hosts the steamer festival with its traditional fleet parade on Saturday evening at Terrassenufer (Elbe banks below Bruehl Terrace). Experience the world's largest and oldest fleet of paddle steamers live during its majestic parade.

For accommodation, cultural programs or sightseeing offers please feel free to contact: